Transportable racks



July 27, 1965 H. F. LOETZ TRANSPORTABLE RACKS Filed March 30, 1964 I NVENTOR.

Wen/ 777 A0672 BY @WM ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3,197,031 TRANPQRTABLE RACKS Henry F. Loetz, Sturgis, Mich, assignor to Formed Tubes, ind, Sturgis, Mich. Filed Mar. 30, 1964, Ser. No. 355,531 1% Qlaims. (Ql. 21149) This invention relates to transportable racks adapted to supportingly receive rolls of material.

' The main objects of this invention are:

First, to provide a rack adapted to receive rolls of material such, for example as coils of wire or other relatively heavy material in roll-like form.

Second, to provide a rack adapted for this purpose which is very strong and rigid in proportion to the stock used.

Third, to provide a rack having these advantages, being formed of material in which there are few parts and the parts are connected by welds, the parts connected by welds being arranged so that the connections for the parts are subjected to relatively little stress when the racks are in use.

Objects relating to details and economies of the invention will appear from the description to follow. The invention is defined and pointed out in the claims.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a complete rack embodying my invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary elevational view.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the embodiment of my invention shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one of the body members of the embodiment of my invention illustrated.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view corresponding to that of FIG. 1 showing a pair of racks in nested position.

The embodiment of my invention illustrated comprises two substantially duplicate body members or units 1. Each of these body members include a pair of laterally spaced uprights 2 and 3 connected at their inner ends by the integral inwardly bowed inwardly extending top members 4. Each upright or standard has an outwardly bowed base portion 5 which terminates in upwardly projecting lug-like portion 6. The lugs 6 are disposed against the sides of the uprights and are fixedly secured, desirably by means of welds indicated at 7. It will be noted that the base members not only constitute coupling members for the uprights of a unit but they constitute coupling members for the two units.

In the embodiment illustrated the bight portions of the base members have downwardly offset outer end portions 8 constituting foot portions, the purpose of these downwardly offset foot portions being to permit the inserting of a lifting member below the rack for transporting the rack.

The inwardly bowed top members 4 are disposed in spaced relation to each other, as is illustrated in FIG. 3, and they are unitraily connected by means of the angled coupling members 9 desirably formed of the same stock as the body members and fixedly secured to the inwardly bowed top members desirably by means of welds, indicated at 19. These coupling members are disposed on the outer sides of the inwardly projecting top portions 4 of the uprights.

This arrangement provides a very rigid structure in proportion to the material used which is desirably tubular and only eight welds are required.

The upwardly projecting portions 6 of the base members are desirably disposed on the inner sides of the uprights 3 so that they are not engaged by the load. The

3,197,031 Patented July 27, 1965 Ice coupling members 9 are so arranged that there are no projecting parts to be engaged either in loading or unloading the rack. When the parts are nested, as illustrated in FIG. 5, there are no projecting parts that are likely to be subjected to stress which usually occurs in dropping one rack over another.

In the preferred embodiment the downwardly olfset portions 8 of the base members are of U-shape and may be slidably engaged and owing to shape provide minimum friction in sliding a rack either loaded or unloaded on a surface. It will be understood that loaded racks are sometimes stacked and in that case the base members rest upon the load on the lower rack.

In the embodiment illustrated all the parts are formed of tubular stock as a matter of strength and to minimize weight. In the structure of this invention there are no parts disposed so they are subjected to undue stress in loading or unloading.

I have illustrated and described my invention in a highly practical embodiment thereof. I have not attempted to illustrate or describe other adaptations or embodiments which are contemplated as it is believed this disclosure will enable those skilled in the art to embody or adapt the invention as may be desired.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A rack adapted to receive a plurality of coils of wire or the like comprising two substantially duplicate body members, each of the body members including a pair of laterally spaced upright standards having inwardly bowed top members integral with and extending inwardly from their upper ends, each standard having an outwardly bowed outwardly tapering base member integral therewith, the base members terminating at their ends in upwardly projecting lugs disposed against the inner sides of the standards and fixedly secured thereto, the bight portions of said base members being downwardly offset and constituting foot portions, and angled coupling members formed of stock corresponding to the stock of said body members and being disposed with their arms on the outer sides of the inwardly bowed top members of said body members and fixedly secured thereto, said angled coupling members substantially corresponding to the bight portions of said inwardly bowed top members.

2. A rack adapted to receive a plurality of coil of wire or the like comprising two substantially duplicate body members, each of the body members including a pair of laterally spaced upright standards having inwardly bowed top members integral with and extending inwardly from their upper ends, each standard having an outwardly bowed base member integral therewith, the base members terminating at their ends in upwardly projecting lugs disposed against the inner sides of the standards and fixedly secured thereto, and angled coupling members formed of stock corresponding to the stock of said body members and being disposed with their arms on the outer sides of the inwardly bowed top members of said body members and fixedly secured thereto, said angled coupling, members substantially corresponding to the bight portions of said inwardly bowed top members.

3. A rack of the class described comprising two substantially duplicate body members, each body member including laterally spaced upright standards of substantial length and having inwardly bowed top members integral with the standards, each standard having outwardly bowed outwardly tapering base members integral therewith, the bight portions of the base members being downwardly offset providing axially spaced outwardly bowed foot portions, said base members terminating at their ends in upwardly projecting lugs disposed sidewise against the lower portions of the standards and fixedly secured thereto,

and angled coupling members disposed with their arms on the outer side of said inwardly bowed top members, the curvature of the bight portion of said coupling members corresponding substantially to the curvature of the bight portions of said inwardly bowed, top-members, the arms of the. coupling ,members. being fixedly secured to the,

outer sides of the inwardly bowed top portions of said body members.

4. A rack of the class described comprising two substantially duplicate body members, eachbody memberineluding laterally spaced'upright. standards of substantial length and having inwardly bowed top members integral withthe standards, each standardrhaving outwardly bowed base membersintegral,therewith, said. base members terminatingat their ends in upwardly projecting lugs disposed, sidewise against the lower portions of the standards'and fixedly secured. thereto, and angled coupling members disposed with their arms on the outer side of said inwardly bowed top members, the curvature of the bight portion of said coupling members corresponding substantially to the curvature of the bight portions of said inwardly bowed top members, the arms of the coupling members being fixedly. secured to the outer sides of the inwardly bowed top portions of said bodymembers.

5. A rack of the class described comprising two substantially duplicate. body members, each body member including laterally spaced upright standards of substantial length and having inwardly bowed top members integral with they standards, each standard having outwardly bowed outwardly taperingrbase members integral therewith, the bight portionsof the base members being d0wnwardly ofiset providing axially spacedoutwardly bowed foot portions, said base members terminating at their ends in lugsdisposed against the lower portions of the standards andv fixedly secured thereto, and means for fixedly connecting said inwardly bowed top members.

6. A rack of the class described comprising two substantially duplicate body members, each body member including laterally. spaced upright standards of substantial length and having inwardly bowed top members integral with the standards, each standard having outwardly bowed r in upwardly projecting lugs disposed in sidewise relation to lower portions of the standard and fixedly secured 'thereto, and inwardly bowed coupling members disposed with their arms on the sides of said inwardly bowed portions of said top members and fixedly secured thereto, the curvature of the bight portions of said coupling members corresponding substantially to the curvature of the bight portions of said inwardly bowed top members.

8. A rack of the class described comprising two like body members including laterally spaced upright standards of substantial length and having inwardly projecting top members integral therewith, said standards having outwardly bowed base members, said base members terminating in upwardly projecting lugs disposed in sidewise relation to lower portions of the standard and fixedly secured thereto, and inwardly bowed coupling members disposed with their arm on the. sides of said inwardly bowed portions of said top members and fixedly secured thereto, the curvature of the bight portions of said coupling members corresponding substantially to the curvature of the bight portions of said inwardly bowed top members.

9. A rack of the class described comprising substantially duplicate body members, each body member including laterally spaced upright standards of substantial length and having inwardly projecting top members integral therewith, each upright standard having outwardly bowed base members integral therewith, the ends of the base members being fixedly secured to the lower end of other upright standards, and angled coupling members having arms fixedly secured to the said inwardly projecting top members.

10. A rack of the class described comprising substantially duplicate body members, each of said body members including laterally spaced upright standards of substantial length and having inwardly projecting top men-1 bers integral therewith, each upright standard having outwardly bowed base members integral therewith and fixedly secured to the lower end of other upright standards, and

coupling members fixedly secured to the said inwardly projecting top members.

References Cited by theExaminer UNITED STATES PATENTS CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner. 

1. A RACK ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A PLURALITY OF COILS OF WIRE OR THE LIKE COMPRISING TWO SUBSTANTIALLY DUPLICATE BODY MEMBERS, EACH OF THE BODY MEMBERS INCLUDING A PAIR OF LATERALLY SPACED UPRIGHT STANDARDS HAVING INWARDLY BOWED TOP MEMBERS INTEGRAL WITH AND EXTENDING INWARDLY FROM THEIR UPPER ENDS, EACH STANDARD HAVING AN OUTWARDLY BOWED OUTWARDLY TAPERING BASE MEMBER INTEGRAL THEREWITH, THE BASE MEMBERS TERMINATING AT THEIR ENDS IN UPWARDLY PROJECTING LUGS DISPOSED AGAINST THE INNER SIDES OF THE STANDARDS AND FIXEDLY SECURED THERETO, THE BIGHT PORTIONS OF SAID BASE MEMBERS BEING DOWNWARDLY OFFSET AND 